How Principal on defilement charge attempted to cover up crime
A secondary school principal in Kitui County, who is facing court charges of defiling a female student, attempted to compromise the girl’s family by offering them money for them to remain silent.
Samuel Matuvi Kimanzi, the principal of Mosa Mixed Secondary School in Kisasi is alleged to have offered a cash bribe of Sh200,000 to the guardian of the orphaned Form Four student so that her testimony to police can be recanted to “kill” the case.
According to an audio clip obtained by the Nation, Mr Kimanzi allegedly called Fred Nyamai, the victim’s uncle, pleading with him to help him sabotage the case and save his career, in return for cash bribe.
The principal is heard suggesting to Mr Nyamai that her niece, whose parents died 12 years ago, be persuaded to withdraw the allegations by telling police that she had been asked by some teachers to frame him up.
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School Principal charged with defiling female student
Unknown to the principal, Mr Nyamai recorded the telephone conversation that lasted 10 and half minutes but turned down the offer saying justice for the orphaned girl cannot be traded off with money.
The guardian proceeded to report the matter to police where he handed over the audio clip to investigators.
Mr Kimanzi, who appeared before Chief magistrate Marianne Murage on Wednesday, has denied the rape charges against him and was released on a Sh200,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh50,000.
The prosecution has lined up 10 witnesses to testify in the case whose hearing will commence on September 3, 2018.
The 58-year-old principal, who is set to retire from teaching service in two years, is alleged to have stormed the girls’ dormitory on the night of May 21, 2018 to check whether the female students were all in.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Instead he ended up summoning the victim outside and sexually assaulting her.
Earlier on the material day, Mr Kimanzi is alleged to have sent the school matron on off duty, leaving the female students without an official care taker.
The case comes up in the wake of a similar defilement incident last week at Moi Girls School, Nairobi.
These incidents prompted the National Assembly Education committee to demand that principals be held responsible whenever criminal acts take place in their schools.
The committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly also wants schools to set up teams that will assist in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of safety.